Thursday, July 15, 2010

Lady Gaga is no stranger to fusing fashion and fuzzy creatures, famously rocking an Animal skirt last year. But it looks like the outrageous singer is trading in her Muppets for another childhood favorite: Hello Kitty!

On Tuesday night’s episode of Bravo’s Double Exposure, Lady Gaga took Hello Kitty to a sexy new level while shooting the 35th Anniversary campaign for the character.

At the London shoot, the songstress dons this gown adorned with stuffed Hello Kitty dolls–and that’s not all. From sky-high Hello Kitty-covered pumps to a bedazzled Kitty belt, Gaga adds her own sexy touch to the girly cat.

It's been a tumultuous couple of years for Bristol Palin and her ex-fiancé Levi Johnston – but she says the two are looking to change all that, and possibly in a very big way.

Following Johnston's recent public apology, in which he admits he "said things about the Palins that were not completely true," Bristol, 19, tells People Magazine in its new issue, "I forgive him for what he did. He was young, mad, misguided. We're moving on."

Amid reports that the two are planning to tie the knot – a move they reputedly have yet to run by her parents – Bristol, who did not wear an engagement ring during her conversation with People, replied to the question of if they would marry: "Yeah. I mean, I don't really want to get into detail about what's in store for our future, because who knows? But all I'd like to say about it is, hopefully we will be a family."

As for how they managed to bury the hatchet after their very public falling out, Bristol credits Levi's "just coming around. But, I don't know. It's good. It's good for all three of us [including son] Tripp Easton!"

Looking back, Bristol believes that if fame, money and her mom Sarah Palin's vice presidential campaign had not become part of her and Levi's lives, the ex-couple would already be happy living a simple life.

"I think Levi and I would be married," she says without hesitation. "He would still have his [oil] job on the North Slope, and we'd be in a one-bedroom apartment, scraping by."

Bristol, who says all of her friends have gone out of state, has no plans to follow them. "Levi and I are both Alaska based, and I don't see us moving anywhere else."

For much more on Bristol Palin, pick up this week's issue of People, on newsstands Friday.

The upside for Enrique Iglesias: His beloved Spain just won its first World Cup soccer title. The downside: Now, he has to water ski naked in front of the entire city of Miami – as he promised he would if the team won.

"If Spain wins, I'm going to get drunk and ski naked in Biscayne Bay," the Spanish heartthrob singer, 35, told the BBC on June 23rd. At that point, the Spanish team had already lost a game and were in danger of not progressing to the knockout phase.

But of course, they did progress – all the way to Sunday's final, where they beat Holland 1-0.

Now, Iglesias says he's willing to follow through on his pledge, telling Access Hollywood: "A bet is a bet!"

It's not clear when Iglesias might make good on the promise, but if he does, it won't be the first time he's skipped through the waves in the buff. "That is what we used to do when we were kids," he told the BBC.

The second season of Glee is about two months away! The official premiere date is on September 21st.

Creator Ryan Murphy and the show’s writers shared that and other second season tidbits at an event Monday night at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills.

Emmy nominated for one of her two guest appearances on the show last season, Kristin Chenoweth will return! Also, Murphy has written a role for Oscar winner Javier Bardem.

Murphy was asked about the phenomenal success of the show which earned an astounding 19 Emmy nominations last week: “I feel very stunned that people got it in a big way… because I do think it’s a very unusual show and a very unusual tone…There’s never been a musical on television that has worked, so the fact that it is embraced as much as it has been is just amazing to me.”

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem have always kept their romance under the radar – and their intimate wedding was equally low-profile.

Cruz, 36, and Javier Bardem, 41, exchanged vows in front of family members during a small, private ceremony held at a friend’s home in the Bahamas earlier this month, her rep has confirmed.

The bride wore a gown designed by designer John Galliano, a longtime friend of the actress.

The Spanish lovebirds, who are both Oscar winners, started dating in 2007 but have famously kept their relationship out of the public eye. Last year rumors surfaced that the couple had gotten engaged, but they would not comment.

When once asked about Bardem, Cruz refused to confirm whether they were even dating, but couldn't hold back her admiration, saying, "He's a friend and the best actor in the world."

Bardem won an Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a killer in 2007's No Country for Old Men. Cruz took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the 2008 Woody Allen comedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which also starred Bardem.

The couple first met while filming Jamon, Jamon in 1992, one of Cruz's first films.

Make no mistake: Carrie Underwood means business when it comes to getting her groove on.

For her July 10th wedding to Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher, 30, the country queen, 27, opted for a Chantilly lace and silk organza Monique Lhuillier gown. But after the ceremony, the bride promptly changed into a strapless Lhuillier cocktail dress.

"The wedding dress was huge," Underwood tells People Magazine in this week's issue. "I wanted to get my boogie on, so I had to change."

Also looking sharp for the wedding, which was held at Georgia's Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation resort: Underwood's beloved pooch Ace, who donned a Swarovski crystal-encrusted pink tuxedo to trot down the aisle.

"Mike was like, 'He's in pink! What are you doing?' " the newlywed singer says of Ace's tux. "But he looked so handsome."

For all the details and exclusive photos of Underwood's lavish Georgia wedding, pick up this week's issue of People, on newsstands Friday.

It's a question that's hovered over the Twilight franchise for months: How will the filmmakers handle Bella's notoriously graphic childbirth scene in the movie version of Breaking Dawn?

Now, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg has weighed in – and she's all for showing it on screen, though perhaps without some of the gorier details.

"The childbirth – all the scenes, I feel – should be on screen," Rosenberg tells PopSugar. "Would we actually see Edward's teeth through the placenta? I don't think so. I don't think we need to see that."

She adds with a laugh: "If someone needs to see that, I think they should take a look at that."

In the novel, the birth is so difficult that Bella nearly dies, and one book reviewer complained that the scene was so graphic, it "may promote lifelong abstinence in sensitive types."

As the Breaking Dawn film production has been getting closer, Kristen Stewart, in particular, has been curious about that scene. "I haven't seen a script," she told MTV News in January, "but I'm not alone in really, really wondering how they're going to handle that."

Rosenberg, who also wrote the first three films in the series, said last month that she was "deep in the middle" of the script for the two-part Breaking Dawn movie, the first installment of which is due in theaters in November 2011. In the PopSugar interview, Rosenberg says it's been great fun writing the character Bella, in particular, as she evolves.

"I think seeing Bella as a vampire and her adjusting to her powers and embracing them, those are all really fun scenes to write," she says. "Particularly when you picture Kristen Stewart playing her, and the way she's embodied Bella as a sort of awkward, fidgety persona. When she turns into a vampire, all of that goes away."

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Actor John Barrowman is hoping writers bring his Desperate Housewives character back from the dead - because he's already missing the leading ladies' naughty, diva antics.

The Scottish-born actor played Drea de Matteo's ex-boyfriend Patrick Logan in five episodes of the drama and admits he could write a revealing book based on what he witnessed on set.

And now he's dreaming of an unlikely return to Wisteria Lane - the fictional address of the Housewives.

He tells Britain's 5 O'Clock Show, "Actually they were nothing but generous to me - that's not to say that things don't go on. I spent most time with Eva (Longoria Parker) and Drea de Matteo and we had a wonderful time.

"Eva Longoria's got a naughty sense of humor like I do. But you know, things happen on long-running shows and all the sagas that go on, so obviously there's a bit of diva-ness that goes on there. And why not?... I know (my character's) been blown up and I'm dead but I would like to work again for them."

After spending some down time in Texas, Sandra Bullock was spotted Saturday at an airport in Austin with baby Louis en route to Los Angeles.

The duo were on their way to California where Bullock, 45, attended a funeral for Rebecca Spikings-Goldsman, the wife of producer Akiva Goldsman who wrote the screenplay for the actress's 1996 film A Time to Kill.

Bullock, who last month stepped out publicly for the first time to attend some award shows in L.A., is gradually returning to public life – but is devoted to her role as a new mom.

Fifteen years after walking away for solo stardom (in Europe? Big success! Stateside, not so much), Robbie Williams will return to Take That, the chart-topping boy band he joined at age 16.

According to London’s The Sun, the reunited fivesome will release a new album at Christmas before heading out for a major stadium tour in the summer of 2011. But first, Williams and longtime bandmate/rival Gary Barlow will release a promo video for the new single “Shame,” due in October, with a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the 2005 ranch-hands-in-love epic Brokeback Mountain.

An insider tells The Sun: “In the song there’s a line about how he went into Toys R Us and saw the four Take That dolls in a box and realized he felt left out …Everything is in place now to formally announce Robbie’s return to Take That for one year only. He will announce his comeback with a public statement. Then he’ll release ‘Shame’ with Gary.”

A tell-all book about TV queen Oprah Winfrey's life is to be adapted into a movie.

Filmmaker Larry A. Thompson has acquired the rights to Kitty Kelley's controversial book Oprah: A Biography and is turning it into a film - and the director admits he faces a challenge in finding the right actress to play Winfrey.

Thompson says, "Oprah Winfrey's fascinating journey from rural Mississippi to the world stage is packed with simple truths and complicated personalities...

"Casting someone to play Oprah will be the real challenge. We are planning to audition both known and unknown actresses."

News of the project, to be released next year, won't be welcomed by the talk show titan - she slammed the unauthorised tome earlier this year, branding it a "so-called biography".

The book alleges Winfrey used drugs and embellished stories about her poverty-stricken background.

Monday, July 12, 2010

The 12th edition of Big Brother on Thursday posted decent gains in viewers and key demographics compared to last summer, CBS announced today.

The hour-long telecast, which won its timeslot among adults 18-34 and tied for first among adults 18-49, averaged 7.35 million viewers, up 11% versus last year. It also posted a 17% gain among adults 18-34 and was up 4% among adults 18-49.

It was Big Brother’s best premiere in viewers since the debut of BB 8 on July 5, 2007 and it’s best performance among adults 18-34 and adults 18-49 since BB 9 on Feb. 12, 2008.

Overall, CBS won Thursdays among viewers (7.58 million), and the key adult demographics.

Mike Sorrentino thinks he’s living a “fairy tale” and that his current situation — starring on a hit reality show — is too much for words, though he managed to find some anyway.

“Maybe it’s the abs or maybe it’s the green eyes,” the Jersey Shore star, nicknamed ‘The Situation,’ said at Las Vegas’s Sugar Factory. “The Situation does look pretty good on TV, so maybe that’s what it is.”

Recently, Sorrentino announced that he has partnered with Dilligaf clothing company to launch a couture line.

In Las Vegas to celebrate his 28th birthday at Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab Pool Party, Sorrentino said he’s living the dream right now, though he plans on moving on from reality TV eventually.

“This is just a way into the door for me,” he said. “Reality is a stepping stone for me. Being one of the biggest names in reality or the country or the world or whatever, I definitely want to start moving into scripted and films in another year or two.”

Britney Spears can now count herself in the prestigious company of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Journey -- and not because her music has been made into a kick-ass laser light show. Britney is going to be the latest in a string of artists honored by Glee with an episode devoted to her music.

The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, confirmed a Britney-centric episode for the show's upcoming fall season while speaking with Entertainment Tonight. He didn't say whether or not the decision was influenced by the Twitter campaign started by Britney's manager after Glee's Madonna episode.

The news opens a few possibilities for the show. Sure it's easy to hear Rachel singing "Crazy" after Finn threw her for another loop in the season finale, but who gets to sing the overtly sexual "If U Seek Amy" or the S&M-tinged "Slave 4 U"? Vote below in our poll for the Britney single you'd most like to hear on Glee!

Former child star Willie Aames has set sail on the high seas in a bid to get his career back on track - he's working as an assistant director on a cruise liner for Oceania Cruises.

The Eight is Enough and Charles in Charge star declared himself bankrupt in 2008 after running up debts of over $350,000. He was also briefly homeless.

He then took on a job as a financial adviser to help others avoid the same pitfalls and now he has turned his life around as a top employee at Oceania.

Aames, 50, tells the National Enquirer, "I'd hit rock bottom and now I'm back on top. I'm almost done with my training, and I absolutely love spending time with the guests, assisting as an escort on tours and hosting tables."

Aames even draws on his experience in showbusiness to help with the ship's entertainment and he loves it.

Jennifer Saunders, familiar to American TV audiences as the eccentric London public-relations specialist Edina Monsoon on the uproarious British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, has been fighting breast cancer since discovering a lump last October.

It's being reported by the BBC that she just completed treatment and her doctors say the screenwriter-actress-comedienne's condition is in remission.

Saunders, 52, has been seen with closely cropped hair as well as in a wig and bandana at a recent Wimbledon match. She will not comment on her health, her rep tells the BBC.

Saunders has been married to actor-musician Adrian Edmondson since 1985. They have three daughters.

Her series Ab Fab, as it was called, debuted in 1992 and continued for several seasons before spinning off into the occasional special. Last Christmas in the U.K., Edina reunited with her pal Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) for a commercial for the Marks & Spencer department-store chain. The outlandish Patsy and Eddie have been described as, among other things, "Lucy and Ethel on acid."

Score one for the gays! After a call to action by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, NBC’s Today show has announced that it will officially allow gay couples to enter its annual “Modern Day Wedding” contest, which each year features one couple getting hitched on live television, after voting by the show’s viewers. GLAAD reached out after it discovered that Today hadn’t been allowing same-sex couples into the competition. And what a lovely surprise: NBC listened.

Apparently relations with the gay and lesbian community are important to the network and the show. “Moving forward, we ensure that our future wedding contests will be inclusive to all couples,” NBC said in a statement. The network had initially argued that it excluded gays and lesbians because “the couple must be able to be legally married in New York, which is where the wedding will take place.” The smarties at GLAAD, however, pointed out that New York legally recognizes same-sex marriages that are licensed in other states.

“We’re thrilled that Today Show’s ‘Modern Wedding Contest’ now recognizes what most fair-minded Americans have already concluded—a wedding celebrates love and commitment, whether the spouses are straight or gay,” said Jarrett Barrios, president of GLAAD. “NBC heard GLAAD and the thousands of viewers who contacted them. And they have moved to make their contest a truly modern wedding where any couple can share their story … we encourage qualified same-sex couples to submit their applications.”

And the network responded: “Our intent was not to be discriminatory or exclusive,” the network said. “In 2005 when the wedding took place outside of New York, the application process was open to same-sex couples. We have listened to every voicemail and read every email. We take this feedback seriously, and we will change our application process. Moving forward, we ensure that our future wedding contests will be inclusive of all couples.”

How refreshing is this news? I’m loving it, not that I ever have any intention to get married on live television. But if my fellow gays want to do it, more power to them! Why shouldn’t they be able to get married with Meredith Vieira, Al Roker, and Matt Lauer standing nearby?

Fans hoping to hear good news on Thursday night regarding So You Think You Can Dance favorite Alex Wong‘s injury, were sorely disappointed when judge Nigel Lythgoe said the ballet dancer, who thrilled audiences mostly recently with his historic hip-hop routine, would need surgery as soon as possible, followed by at least three months rest in order to make a full recovery.

“I’ve had an amazing time and I can’t get that anywhere else,” Wong said after an emotional farewell met by a standing ovation from the audience and judges. “Not ever from day one did I ever think I was going for the gold.”

All three judges and fellow dancers gave Wong long, teary embraces after his goodbye on stage.

“My heart hurts a lot but I’m very, very grateful that you guys have given me this opportunity,” Wong said after Ashley Galvan and Billy Bell, who were also in the bottom three, performed solos. (Wong did not perform, but was automatically in the bottom three due to his injury.)

“Alex is such a gift,” judge Mia Michaels stated. “He is one of the greatest dancers, if not the greatest dancer that has ever come through our stage.”

Judge Adam Shankman said Wong had become the person to beat this season. “Whoever wins this year, people will always say, ‘Would they have won if Alex Wong was still in this competition?’ ” Shankman said.

With strong performances from Galvan and Bell, the other dancers now have to step it up, Michaels said. The Emmy-nominated choreographer also apologized Thursday to Adechike Torbert after calling his performance Wednesday “empty.”

“I saw in his energy that it broke him a little bit,” Michaels said. “My frustration is because he has not yet stepped into his greatness and he has a lot of potential.”

With Wong out of the competition, many are wondering who the new front-runner will be. Shankman believes Kent Boyd will shine because he’s a fan favorite. Lythgoe agrees, and adds Lauren to his list of ones to watch.

“Everyone who has ever won this show has had the personality and not been the best technician,” Lythgoe said.

As for Wong, he will have surgery on his Achilles tendon Tuesday in Los Angeles and plans to take it easy for a full recovery. He says he would love to come back for a future season of SYTYCD.

“It’s a lot to give up but I would love to be back,” Wong said. “I haven’t finished my journey. I have so much more to learn.”

The singer, 42, and husband René Angelil, who announced that they were expecting twins after a sixth in-vitro fertilization attempt earlier this year, confirmed on Dion's official Web site Friday that she will have two more sons.

"Céline first announced the upcoming new additions to the Angelil-Dion family back in May, and now she just revealed that she is expecting twin boys," the statement reads. "Congratulations to the happy family!"

Under a tent on a Southern evening, Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher shared what their wedding planner called "a spiritual expression of their love" – a special moment for a "very special couple."

The country star, 27, and her hockey player beau, 30, tied the knot at a luxury resort Saturday before 250 friends and family in a ceremony featuring classical music and the couple's favorite Bible readings.

“We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!” the newlyweds said in a statement, signing their names “Mike & Carrie Fisher.”

Underwood wore a Chantilly lace dress created for her by Monique Lhuillier, who also designed the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Fisher, who plays for the Ottawa Senators, was engaged to Underwood on December 20th, after quietly dating for about a year. Underwood said in March that with their busy schedules, “We'll be little nomads for a while” and that they planned to keep homes in Nashville and in Peterborough, Ontario.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

What do you think of Madonna when it comes to parenting? Do you see her as a typical mother with four children? Well the 51-year-old “Material Girl” says she is exactly that.

When it comes to her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes Ciccone Leon, Madonna says she is all about keeping her covered up. “I usually tell her to take off her 3-inch or 6-inch platforms and pull her skirt down just a little bit and take off some of the black eye make-up around her eyes. She does have amazing style, but I am a typical mother when I say, ‘Oh my God, you can’t go to school dressed like that.’”

Madonna doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. She offered up: “My biggest asset as a human being I would say is my resilience and my survival skills. I’m like a cockroach. You can’t get rid of me.”

Colin Farrell's publicist has spoken out to dismiss rumors the Irish actor is preparing to play wild rocker Ozzy Osbourne in a big screen biopic.

The former Black Sabbath frontman and his music manager wife Sharon are keen to transform the rocker's colourful past into a movie, and the rock matriarch has spoken of her desire to cast Johnny Depp in the lead role.

Osbourne recently admitted he would prefer an unknown actor from his native Birmingham, England to land the part - but online reports suggested fellow reformed wildman Farrell had signed up to play the Prince of Darkness.

However, the Phone Booth hunk's spokesperson has quickly denied the speculation, telling GossipCop.com the rumor is "not true".

Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi took their he-said-she-said circus to the air on Monday night in a previously recorded interview about their relationship. Among the heated subjects they tackled were Vienna selling her story to a tabloid, the emotional abuse she says he inflicted, and the constant undermining Jake says he endured.

Trading bitter insults throughout their talk with Chris Harrison, the exes battled it out in a verbal boxing match that proved no winner — and pulled no punches. Here’s a recap of how it all went down:

Round 1: How it all fell apartJake: “The relationship was going downhill but I wasn’t ready to quit fighting.”

Vienna: “The first month together was great. He was crazy about me. From there it went straight downhill. It felt like a relationship when cameras were rolling or we were out on a red carpet, but when we were at home [it was] lonely. I just wanted him to be around me and talk to me and kiss me like a normal relationship.”

Round 2: The tabloid interviewVienna: “Either way, our relationship had been public. The world was going to want to know what happened . . . I hadn’t had a voice this entire time.”

Jake: “I’m so mad at you. I’m disgusted with you.”

Vienna: “You are a fame whore is what you are.”

Round 3: Their life after The BachelorVienna: “My impression was that you were a pilot and we were going to go back to Florida and Dallas and live a normal life. Instead, we’re in L.A. and you’re pursuing a career in acting.”

Jake: “At least I was pursuing a career in something.”

Round 4: Jake’s turn on Dancing with the StarsVienna: “He never acknowledged me. We were never together, ever, throughout the whole thing. I was excited to spend time with him [on the show].”

Jake: “She was excited because I put her on TV.”

Round 5: Who broke up with whom?Vienna: “I called you and broke up with you over the phone.”

Jake: “She’s like a tabloid. You get 40 percent of the truth.”

Round 6: Who’s at fault?Vienna: “He was always mean to me and treated me like I was a child.”

Javier Bardem will join the ranks of Neil Patrick Harris, Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban when he goes Gleek next season.

The Academy Award winner is expected to appear on FOX’s Glee as a rock star who befriends Artie (Kevin McHale), reports EW.com.

“We’re going to rock the house,” Bardem says. “We’re going to do some heavy metal — Spanish heavy metal, which is the worst.”

Bardem reportedly became hooked on the show after watching the show’s entire first season in one week and then pitched a Glee cameo to creator Ryan Murphy, who directed this summer’s Eat Pray Love, which stars Bardem and Julia Roberts.

John Stamos is also expected to make an appearance on season 2 of Glee.

The incredibly good looking star of USA Network’s White Collar makes Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List” issue this week as the magazine’s summer crush because of his “charm, smooth moves, and piercing blue eyes.”

Well, Matt Bomer should be everyone's crush pretty much every season but this is extra cool because he’s been photographed in a wet T-shirt and looks incredible.

Matt shares with the magazine some of his summer favorites this year:

Movies: The Kids Are All Right is amazing. The performances are insanely good. Julianne Moore is going to wreck you. This is the best I’ve ever seen her, and I’ve seen everything she’s ever done. I like the story and I think it’s a great alternative to the big summer popcorn blockbusters. Inception is my big studio movie of the summer. That looks amazing. I’m a huge fan of Leonardo [DiCaprio]‘s and [director] Christopher Nolan’s. It looks amazing just from the trailers. The dream world looks unbelievable.

Books: Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man by Bill Kleg. It’s an addiction memoir about a rising literary agent whose life spirals out of control when he gets addicted to crack. I read about in The New Yorker and New York Times. It really intrigued me. Man, if they ever did a movie about this, I’d want to do it. The summertime, people get into that salacious type stuff. This one is really gripping and entertaining.

Check out this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly for the rest of their "Must List".

Tom Ford’s outstanding directorial debut A Single Man is being released on DVD and Blu-Ray today. The film earned Colin Firth an Academy Award nomination for best actor and Julianne Moore should have received an Oscar nod but was somehow overlooked.

Ford should not have any trouble attracting A-List talent for his next film, whatever that turns out to be. The designer-turned-director talked to Entertainment Weekly about five stars he hopes to work with in the future:

Brad Pitt: “I’ve always admired Brad as an actor, but I think he’s even better now. I hope people take this the right way but he’s less physically perfect. His face has so much more character. He’s growing into himself.”

Chaz Bono and his mother Cher turned out over the weekend at Elijah Blue Allman’s art show in Malibu.

Chaz, who was there with girlfriend Jennifer Elia, spoke to reporters while there and was as candid as usual saying he feels more at peace than ever after completing his transition from female to male.

He talked about the period when he felt the most miserable as the female Chastity Bono: “When I was in Ceremony [short-lived 90s band] I felt the most pressure to look and behave like someone that truly was not me.”

But that has all changed now that Chaz, an activist and author, has been living his life as a man and is writing about it to help others understand the extraordinary journey on ChazBono.net.

“I wasted years worried about what other people would think if I transitioned, and now I wish I had those years back,” Chaz writes. “Do what is right for you.”

Lifeguard Mark Wahlberg dangles merman Will Ferrell from his shirt on the cover of the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands today.

The two stars have a comedy coming out next month called Other Guys, in theaters August 6th. Will and Mark play two mismatched New York City detectives who seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops whom they idolize — only things don’t quite go as planned.

True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard isn't shy about stripping down for the camera, and he thanks his Scandinavian background for the confidence.

He said in an interview with Popeater.com: “I'm not a prude. I'm from Sweden, and it's different there. I love to be naked. It's kind of liberating."

Being comfortable with nudity is a must for the 33-year-old heartthrob, who plays sexy Viking vampire Eric Northman in the HBO television series.

He has already appeared naked on screen many times in sexually charged scenes with a number of his female co-stars. But the actor, who is reportedly dating 27-year-old actress Kate Bosworth, insists he is not willing to bare all for no reason.

He said: "If it makes sense, I'll do nudity, and it's made sense every single time I'm naked on the show."

And Alexander is equally comfortable stripping off in front of men. He revealed: "I've got a very, very graphic scene coming up [in True Blood] that I shot with a man.”

The hot and hilarious Old Spice guy Isaiah Mustafa is back — and he’s not on a boat. Or in the shower. Or on a horse.

Instead, he’s balancing on a log in a lake, swan diving down a rocky waterfall and taking a dip in a hot tub — on a motorcycle. Following the tone of the original spot that went viral after airing during the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, Mustafa has a few questions for the ladies.

“Do you like the smell of adventure?” he asks in the ad. “Do you want a man who smells like he could bake you a gourmet cake in the dream kitchen he built for you with his own hands?”

The last season of Big Brother divided the house into cliques that would make the toughest high school student cringe. After crowning a winner - Jordan Lloyd - who was one-part chest bump, three parts Jeff Schroeder and a healthy dose of “aw shucks,” this season of BB introduces “the saboteur” when it premieres July 8th on CBS.

In a series first, thirteen house guests walk in with one determined to wreak havoc on people who are either “peers” or “pawns.” Here’s a look at six standouts (the first two are pictured above) going into the “den of Chen” for season 12:

BRENDON VILLEGAS: A high school swim coach from Riverside, California, Villegas, 30, will soon pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical physics. Though he describes himself as “very much a nerd,” he’s really a combination of brains, brawn and brown-eyed good looks. “My goal is to not intimidate the guys and to be flirty with the girls,” says Villegas, who may be up for a showmance. “The girl that is down-to-earth and sweet is going to be the biggest challenge for me.”

RACHEL REILLY: A graduate student in chemistry and VIP cocktail waitress from Las Vegas, Reilly, 26, has a secret weapon — or two. “Most people look at me and think that I’m just a hot girl with big boobs,” she says. “I can manipulate men and the bikinis that I brought are not even the size of my palm. They’re super tiny! I’m going to hustle them with my Vegas-cocktail personality.”

KATHY HILLIS: A deputy sheriff-sergeant from Texarkana, Arkansas, Hillis, 40, is the only contestant who has (legally) ordered someone to “cough and drop.” But this single mom, who has survived cancer, has a simpler motto: “Never give up, never give in and never use the word defeat,” she says. “When my grandma was terminally ill, we would watch BB together and … I promised her that I would [try out for the show] when we both got better. And though I got better, she didn’t [so] I’m going win it for Grandma!”

ENZO PALUMBO: An insurance adjuster from Bayonne, New Jersey, Palumbo, 32, is happy to wear a stereotype on his sleeve and “shore” up that Jersey “situation.” His message to fans: “When I get into that house, competition is going to be served like my mother’s baked ziti,” he says. “That is how I am going to be playing this game.”

ANNIE WHITTINGTON: A bartender from Tampa, Florida, Whittington, 27, says she may keep her bisexuality a secret. “There may be some more close-minded people in the house and I don’t want to be judged,” she says. “There are so many more facets to my character … I don’t think who I sleep with should be that important to anybody.”

MATT HOFFMAN: A Web designer from Elgin, Illinois, Hoffman, 32, is quick to list his strengths — “My tattoos, coming into BB, are my greatest asset,” he says, “along with being a genius.” — as well as a weakness. “One of my worst character traits is the fact that I can be really condescending,” he reveals. “It’s something that I’ve tried to work on but everyone aggravates me.”

And the rest of the cast…

Kristen Bitting, 24: “I am a quiet storm,” says the boutique manager from Philadelphia. I don’t think there is anyone on reality TV quite like me.”

Hayden Moss, 24: “Athletically, I’m pretty gifted, so the physical competitions are going to be in the bag,” says the college student from Tempe, Arizona. “Also, I’m smarter than I look.”

Britney Haynes, 22: “I’ll pretend to be nice and always a bit elusive,” says the hotel sales manager from Huntington, Arizona. “People want what they can’t have and I’ll give them just enough.”

Andrew Gordon, 39: “Live for today because tomorrow will be yesterday soon,” says the podiatrist from Miami Beach. “Say anything, do anything, just don’t let them know and trust no one.”

Ragan Fox, 34: “I party as hard as I work, and I grew up gay in Texas,” says the college professor from West Hollywood, California. “If you want to get crazy with me — and I opt to go crazy — then you’re in trouble.”

Monet Stunson, 24: “I come off as really sweet and innocent,” says the model from Glen Carbon, Illinois. “People won’t expect that I would lie to their face and stab them in the back to win.”

Lane Elenburg, 24: “I’m a big guy, so I know that I have to find a smart guy,” says the oil rig salesman from Decatur, Texas. “I have to find a ‘brain’ for the ‘meat head.’”

This season Big Brother will be televised on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursday at 8:00 pm (ET). The live eviction show takes place on Thursdays. Plus, you can catch three hours of live feed every night at Showtime After Dark on SHO2.

Is that part of his "GTL" plan? Jersey Shore's Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino compares six packs with a cake in his likeness on Tuesday night while celebrating his 28th birthday at Tenjune nightclub in New York City.

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James have finalized their divorce. But that doesn't mean they have parted ways for good.

Friends tell People Magazine in this week's cover story that the exes will continue to be involved in each other's lives as co-parents of James' kids Sunny, 6, Jesse Jr., 12, and Chandler, 15. The divorce's completion also clears the way for Bullock to finalize her adoption of 6-month-old son Louis.

"It's not like they're talking every day, but they're in touch about things," a source told People Magazine. "It really seems like it's about the kids more than anything."

For her part, Bullock, 45, has been "chilling out" in New Orleans and Austin with Louis. And James, 41, has made it clear that he plans to move to Austin as well.

"He has a goal," says a James pal. "He wants his life back, he wants some sense of normalcy and his family back."

For much more on this story, pick up this week's new issue of People Magazine, on newsstands Friday.

Ask Madonna for fashion advice, and she just might refer you to her 13-year-old, Lourdes Leon (aka “Lola”), who, according to her mother, is “much more fashion-forward and savvy than I am at this point.”

Now the teenager and fashion-lover is sharing her natural style acumen as a blogger, posting her first musings recently on http://www.materialgirlcollection.com/, the site for the juniors clothing line that the mother-daughter duo are designing together.

And the tweenager has certainly put her stamp on Material Girl’s debut collection, which includes ’80s-inspired pieces like a sleeveless biker vest, plaid shirts, floral miniskirts, and high-waist shorts–all meant to be layered and mixed together.

The Federation of Gay Games announced last week that entertainer and gay icon Taylor Dayne will perform a new song to benefit the 2010 Gay Games during the event’s opening ceremony next month in Germany.

Her new song, ‘Facing a Miracle’ was chosen by a panel responsible for selecting the anthem for the event.

The artist will give a premier performance of the song on July 31st, as the sporting event commences.

According to Dayne: “My gay audience and followers are the most loyal and the most fun to perform for.”

Joran van der Sloot's legal troubles grew Wednesday after a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted the Dutchman on charges he tried to extort more than a quarter of a million dollars from Natalee Holloway's family.

U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance said Van der Sloot, 22, who is in a Peruvian prison after authorities charged him with the murder of a 21-year-old business student, faces one count of wire fraud and one count of extortion.

He allegedly solicited money from Holloway's mother in exchange for information about the teenager's death and whereabouts of her remains. Van der Sloot was twice arrested but never charged in the disappearance of Holloway, an Alabama high school student who never returned from a graduation trip in 2005.

Robin Williams is urging movie bosses to cast him in the next Batman movie - because he has twice been turned down for parts in the superhero franchise.

Rumors over casting for Christopher Nolan's upcoming third superhero film have been rife ever since The Dark Knight, starring Heath Ledger as The Joker, hit cinemas in 2008 - with fans speculating over which characters will be re-introduced.

Nolan is said to be considering bringing feline femme fatale Catwoman back for the new movie, along with The Riddler.

Williams is adamant he would make a good replacement for Jim Carrey, who played the fiendish puzzler in 1995's Batman Forever, because the part was originally offered to him. The funnyman also reveals he was lined up to play The Joker in the original 1989 Batman movie before the role was later handed to Jack Nicholson - and the snubs have made him determined to secure a part in the next installment of the hit franchise.

He tells Empire magazine, "I would do Batman in a second. I'd play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain and I'm a little hairy for tights.

"The Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered me The Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me The Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey. I'd be like, 'Ok, is this a real offer? If it is, then the answer's yes. Don't pump me again motherf**kers'."

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